Media Audit

Full-Spectrum Media Governance | Performance Intelligence | Cost Efficiency | Transparency for Pakistani Brands

1. INTRODUCTION

In today’s hyper-fragmented media environment—where brands in Pakistan are simultaneously investing in TV, Radio, Print, OOH, Digital, Influencers, Retail Activations, Search, Social, ATL, BTL, and dozens of micro-channels—every rupee must be justified with data.

Yet 70–82% of companies globally do not have full visibility into how their media budgets are being spent, what inefficiencies exist, or whether their agency is delivering optimum value.
Pakistan’s market is even more vulnerable:

• Media pricing lacks standardized benchmarks
• Vendor transparency varies widely
• Performance reports are inconsistent
• Agencies often control both buying + reporting
• Verification of delivery (“proof-of-performance”) remains a weak link
• Brands rely on surface-level metrics instead of scientific measurement

PKX Marketing solves this.

Our Media Audit Division provides Pakistan’s most advanced, data-led, forensic evaluation of your entire marketing & media ecosystem—ensuring transparency, compliance, efficiency, and ROI uplift across every rupee you spend.

A PKX Media Audit does not simply ask:

“Did you spend your budget?”
It asks:
“Was this the optimum possible spend for maximum business impact?”

2. WHAT IS A MEDIA AUDIT? (Technical Explanation)

A Media Audit is a comprehensive forensic examination of all your marketing, ATL, BTL, and digital media investments. It is conducted by an independent third-party (PKX Marketing) to evaluate:

1. Cost Efficiency – Were your media buys priced competitively?
2. Performance Efficiency – Did you get the promised reach, GRPs, CPMs, impressions, conversions?
3. Media Governance – Were invoices, contracts, and delivery reports valid and compliant?
4. Channel Architecture – Was your media mix scientifically optimized across platforms?
5. Allocation Logic – Was the budget aligned with business objectives & consumer behavior?
6. Leakages & Waste – Where is money being lost?
7. Effectiveness Uplift – Where can ROI be increased without increasing budget?

Technically, a media audit includes:

2.1 Media Buying Audit

• CPT / CPM / CPRP comparison against current market benchmarks
• Spot-buying vs fixed-rate analysis (for TV & radio)
• Premium vs non-premium placement verification
• Agency fee structure analysis
• Rebate & bonus inventory identification
• Price variance modeling
• Rate card vs negotiated rate mapping

2.2 Digital Media Audit

• CPM / CPC / CTR / CPA benchmarking
• Pixel & conversion tracking audit
• Platform-level attribution (Meta, TikTok, Google, Programmatic, DV360)
• Media buying methodologies: oCPM, vCPM, Frequency Capping, Reach Optimization
• Audience overlap analysis
• Campaign structure & funnel alignment
• Third-party verification metadata (brand safety, viewability, fraud detection)

2.3 Performance Delivery Audit

• GRP/Reach/Frequency validations (TV, OOH, Radio)
• OOH illumination checks, location traffic validation, GPS audit
• Billboard visibility scoring (angle, obstruction, night-time visibility)
• Digital viewability scoring (MOAT, IAS-equivalent metrics)
• Influencer performance authenticity (fake followers, bot engagement)

2.4 Media Governance & Compliance Audit

• Contract compliance review
• Insertion Order (IO) vs actual delivery reconciliation
• Invoice variance testing
• Vendor transparency index
• Agency audit readiness scoring
• Reconciliation vs Validation Reports (RVR-VR analysis)

2.5 Strategic Allocation Audit

• Media mix modeling (MMM)
• Incremental reach analysis
• Overlapping channel wastage mapping
• Underperforming assets identification
• Periodic seasonality budget misuse detection

3. WHY BRANDS IN PAKISTAN NEED MEDIA AUDIT SERVICES

Pakistan’s media ecosystem is unique due to:

• High fragmentation of viewership
• Unstructured media pricing
• High reliance on vendor claims instead of third-party validation
• Rapid rise of digital platforms
• Lack of standardized performance frameworks
• High dependency on agencies for both planning AND reporting

This creates blind spots, and blind spots create losses.

Common Problems PKX Identifies in Pakistani Brands:

1. Overpriced media buys (often 15–40% higher than market standard)
2. Redundant OOH placements (duplicate sites within same visibility zone)
3. Fake or inflated influencer metrics
4. Underutilized digital funnels (missing retargeting, poor frequency control)
5. Excessive frequency wastage (10–12+ frequency without incremental effect)
6. Audit-lacking TV/Radio logs
7. Platform cannibalization (same audience targeted thrice across platforms)
8. Misaligned budget allocation not tied to KPIs or category benchmarks

A Media Audit is not a luxury—it is the backbone of responsible marketing governance.

4. WHY ADVERTISING AGENCIES NEED MEDIA AUDITS

A media audit strengthens agency–client collaboration by:

• Providing a single source of truth for performance
• Ensuring realistic KPIs
• Enhancing transparency and trust
• Optimizing planning efficiency
• Ensuring proper execution and delivery by vendors
• Helping agencies justify budgets with data

Agencies that adopt media audits become more accountable, smarter, competitive, and client-trusted.

5. WHY PKX MARKETING IS THE BEST MEDIA AUDIT FIRM IN PAKISTAN

5.1 100% Independent & Unbiased

PKX Marketing has no affiliation with any media vendor or media buying house.
That guarantees pure, conflict-free transparency.

5.2 Pakistan’s Most Technical Audit Framework

We use globally recognized methodologies:

• Ebiquity-inspired cost benchmarking
• PwC-style governance audit
• Nielsen-like media delivery validation
• Digital Forensics using 20+ tools
• Proprietary PKX “Budget Efficiency Matrix (BEM)”
• PKX “Media Waste Heatmap (MWH)”
• PKX “Digital Red-Flag Index (DRI)”

5.3 Data-Driven National Benchmarking

PKX has created Pakistan’s first internal media rate benchmarking model, covering:

• TV CPMs (entertainment, news, sports)
• OOH costs across Karachi/Lahore/Islamabad
• Radio cost variations
• Digital inter-platform cost dynamics
• Influencer category averages
• Social media ROI ratios across 35+ industries

5.4 Full-Stack ATL + BTL + Digital Audit

Unlike digital-only agencies, PKX audits:

• Traditional Media
• Retail Activations
• Outdoor
• Exhibitions
• Influencers
• Search Engine Marketing
• Social Media Advertising
• Sponsorships
• Corporate Events
• Brand Ambassadors
• Production Costs

5.5 Confidentiality, Accuracy, and Executive-Level Reporting

C-level intelligence reports that help CEOs and CMOs make decisions instantly.

6. FACTS, FIGURES & RESEARCH INSIGHTS

6.1 Global Media Waste Statistics

• 41% of global digital ad spend is wasted due to poor targeting & fraud
• 17%–25% of ATL budgets typically suffer leakage
• 29% of influencer campaigns contain fake engagement
• Only 22% of companies validate vendor invoices

6.2 Pakistan-Specific Insights (PKX Observations)

• Average OOH wastage in Karachi = 28–37%
• Digital funnel breakage in Pakistani FMCG brands = 22–45%
• 3 out of 4 brands overpay for TV media
• 60% of agencies do not provide audit-ready reconciliation data
• 40% of social campaigns have frequency >10 (massive waste)
• 1 in 3 influencer campaigns have bot-driven spike patterns

7. CASE STUDY (ANONYMIZED) – PAKISTANI FMCG BRAND

Overview

One of Pakistan’s largest FMCG brands engaged PKX for a full audit of their:

• ATL (TV, Radio, OOH)
• Digital (Meta, Google, TikTok, Programmatic)
• Activations & Retail-level spends
• Influencer collaborations

The total annual spend was in the hundreds of millions, but results had plateaued.

7.1 Audit Scope

PKX conducted:

✔ Full financial media reconciliation
✔ Cost benchmarking
✔ Log verification (TV, OOH, Digital)
✔ Pixel, tracking & attribution audit
✔ Marketing funnel analysis
✔ Production cost benchmarking
✔ Media mix modeling (MMM)
✔ Seasonality vs spend mapping
✔ Influencer forensic audit
✔ Vendor compliance review

7.2 Identified Loopholes & Inefficiencies

1. 17% overspending on OOH due to duplicated zones
2. Multiple non-illuminated billboards billed as illuminated
3. Digital frequency wastage – Meta campaigns showing frequency >11
4. Improper funnel setup – no retargeting for 4 months
5. Agency margin stacking in 2 vendor categories
6. Inflated influencer engagement – 18–35% bot engagement
7. TV GRPs overstated by agency-supplied logs
8. 30% of digital conversions untracked due to pixel misconfiguration
9. Unnecessary production overspending (premium rates for basic shoots)

7.3 Savings & ROI Impact After PKX’s Intervention

Within 6 months of implementing our recommendations:

• Reduced total media waste by 22%
• Delivered 28–40% higher ROI across campaigns
• Reallocated ₹ budget into high-yield channels
• Fixed conversion tracking — boosting digital conversions
• Negotiated down overpriced vendor contracts
• Optimized TV & digital mix for highest incremental reach

This resulted in millions in savings and significantly improved campaign performance.

8. PKX MEDIA AUDIT PROCESS (Technical 10-Step Framework)

Step 1 – Data Intake & Documentation Audit

• IOs, Contracts, Media Plans
• Benchmark data import
• Vendor agreements
• Platform access permissions

Step 2 – Spend Mapping

Mapping rupee-by-rupee allocation:

• ATL
• BTL
• Digital
• Influencers
• Production
• Activation
• Sponsorships

Step 3 – Cost Benchmarking

Compares your buys vs Pakistan market rates:

• CPM, CPT, CPRP
• Discount structures
• Negotiated rates analysis
• Historical rate charts

Step 4 – Delivery Verification

• TV logs
• Radio logs
• OOH GPS coordinates & night-time verification
• Digital delivery via platform API pulls
• Influencer content mapping

Step 5 – Performance Audit

• KPIs vs actual delivery
• ROAS/ROI audit
• Engagement authenticity analysis
• Incremental lift measurement
• Viewability & fraud checks

Step 6 – Funnel & Tracking Audit

• Pixel & Tag health check
• Multi-touch attribution
• Frequency capping
• Ad set structuring

Step 7 – Media Mix Modeling (MMM)

Predictive modeling to test:

• Reach maximization
• Cost minimization
• Channel optimization
• Incremental conversions

Step 8 – Waste Identification & Red-Flag Reporting

PKX generates a Red-Flag Heatmap:

• Overspending zones
• Fake engagements
• Cannibalization
• Redundant GRPs
• Missing audience buckets

Step 9 – Strategy Rebuild

A full media architecture revamp:

• Ideal media split
• Funnel restructuring
• Optimal budget allocation
• Seasonality calendar
• Channel tiering

Step 10 – Executive Report & Ongoing Oversight

PKX provides:

• CEO-level Intelligence Deck
• Audit Certificate
• Monthly dashboards
• Vendor compliance tracking

9. CTA SECTION

Want 100% transparency on every rupee you spend?

PKX Marketing provides Pakistan’s most advanced, data-led media auditing service.

Book a Consultation